Narrative:

VFR departure from vgt on aug/fri/02 about XA00. Unfamiliar with airport, requested progressive taxi for VFR departure to the west. Taxied to runway 12. No VFR clearance from ground control during taxi, assumed directional instructions would be given after takeoff. Reported ready for takeoff on VFR to palmdale departure, held for landing traffic on runway 12R. Departure runway changed to runway 7. Taxied to runway 7 by crossing runways 12. Held briefly at runway 7 to consider departure plan. Requested by tower to expedite for traffic on final. Departure plan intended was to make 'right downwind' from runway 7 to avoid class B to south and east, approach traffic to runway 12 from northwest. Due to expediting, unable to communicate to very busy tower. After takeoff, at about 1200 ft AGL, requested either a right turn or handoff to departure due to incipient class B incursion on 070 degree heading. Request motivated by right turn being an 'unusual maneuver' in the traffic pattern. Right turn approved by tower, but instructed to turn to 270 degrees (to avoid class B to the south is assumed). Maintained 270 degrees and climb while scanning for traffic. Reported 2 aircraft as non factors. Aircraft #1, a twin jet, at 1 O'clock position, below, on approach course (at 2-3 mi estimated). Aircraft #2, a piston twin, below, at 11 O'clock position, moving away. Shortly thereafter, tower reported I was above class B floor (4500 ft MSL). I was at 5300 ft, and should descend immediately. Complied and communicated descent, reached 4500 ft MSL. Tower instructed me to call a phone number after my safe arrival. After arriving at my destination, made that call. Factors involved: 1) invalid assumption -- that if ground control did not give me a VFR clearance, I would get headings approved/denied when I requested to fit into traffic flow, ie, right turn across runway 12 departure course. I thought that if tower wanted a left turn, they would so instruct. 2) westerly climb was intended to stay under class B airspace, but above traffic at/about pattern level. This amounts to 2500-800 ft pattern altitude -500 ft safety factor)= 1200 ft over 5 mi or about 250 FPM. 3) during see and avoid departure, failed to monitor climb rate due to traffic and tower communications. Reached altitude 800 ft above class B floor 1-2 mi from outer class B border. 4) the best practice would be to discuss this with tower personnel from pilot's planning room before getting into the airplane. The best planning is done in a 'zero-zero' environment, zero KTS, zero AGL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: VFR DEP FROM VGT ON AUG/FRI/02 ABOUT XA00. UNFAMILIAR WITH ARPT, REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE TAXI FOR VFR DEP TO THE W. TAXIED TO RWY 12. NO VFR CLRNC FROM GND CTL DURING TAXI, ASSUMED DIRECTIONAL INSTRUCTIONS WOULD BE GIVEN AFTER TKOF. RPTED READY FOR TKOF ON VFR TO PALMDALE DEP, HELD FOR LNDG TFC ON RWY 12R. DEP RWY CHANGED TO RWY 7. TAXIED TO RWY 7 BY XING RWYS 12. HELD BRIEFLY AT RWY 7 TO CONSIDER DEP PLAN. REQUESTED BY TWR TO EXPEDITE FOR TFC ON FINAL. DEP PLAN INTENDED WAS TO MAKE 'R DOWNWIND' FROM RWY 7 TO AVOID CLASS B TO S AND E, APCH TFC TO RWY 12 FROM NW. DUE TO EXPEDITING, UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO VERY BUSY TWR. AFTER TKOF, AT ABOUT 1200 FT AGL, REQUESTED EITHER A R TURN OR HDOF TO DEP DUE TO INCIPIENT CLASS B INCURSION ON 070 DEG HDG. REQUEST MOTIVATED BY R TURN BEING AN 'UNUSUAL MANEUVER' IN THE TFC PATTERN. R TURN APPROVED BY TWR, BUT INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO 270 DEGS (TO AVOID CLASS B TO THE S IS ASSUMED). MAINTAINED 270 DEGS AND CLB WHILE SCANNING FOR TFC. RPTED 2 ACFT AS NON FACTORS. ACFT #1, A TWIN JET, AT 1 O'CLOCK POS, BELOW, ON APCH COURSE (AT 2-3 MI ESTIMATED). ACFT #2, A PISTON TWIN, BELOW, AT 11 O'CLOCK POS, MOVING AWAY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, TWR RPTED I WAS ABOVE CLASS B FLOOR (4500 FT MSL). I WAS AT 5300 FT, AND SHOULD DSND IMMEDIATELY. COMPLIED AND COMMUNICATED DSCNT, REACHED 4500 FT MSL. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL A PHONE NUMBER AFTER MY SAFE ARR. AFTER ARRIVING AT MY DEST, MADE THAT CALL. FACTORS INVOLVED: 1) INVALID ASSUMPTION -- THAT IF GND CTL DID NOT GIVE ME A VFR CLRNC, I WOULD GET HDGS APPROVED/DENIED WHEN I REQUESTED TO FIT INTO TFC FLOW, IE, R TURN ACROSS RWY 12 DEP COURSE. I THOUGHT THAT IF TWR WANTED A L TURN, THEY WOULD SO INSTRUCT. 2) WESTERLY CLB WAS INTENDED TO STAY UNDER CLASS B AIRSPACE, BUT ABOVE TFC AT/ABOUT PATTERN LEVEL. THIS AMOUNTS TO 2500-800 FT PATTERN ALT -500 FT SAFETY FACTOR)= 1200 FT OVER 5 MI OR ABOUT 250 FPM. 3) DURING SEE AND AVOID DEP, FAILED TO MONITOR CLB RATE DUE TO TFC AND TWR COMS. REACHED ALT 800 FT ABOVE CLASS B FLOOR 1-2 MI FROM OUTER CLASS B BORDER. 4) THE BEST PRACTICE WOULD BE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH TWR PERSONNEL FROM PLT'S PLANNING ROOM BEFORE GETTING INTO THE AIRPLANE. THE BEST PLANNING IS DONE IN A 'ZERO-ZERO' ENVIRONMENT, ZERO KTS, ZERO AGL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.